


A Stone on the Shore

by Gigapoodle



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Cheesey-ness, Fluff, Hopefully I succeeded???, I am sorry (Not really), I wanted to make you really happy and then break your heart, M/M, Romance, Tragedy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-06
Updated: 2016-06-06
Packaged: 2018-07-12 15:23:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,480
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7111324
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gigapoodle/pseuds/Gigapoodle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Siegbert knew what it meant to be strong, sure. He trained everyday, according to the schedule his father set up for him; he practiced his weapon skills, even when he wasn't supposed to; and in all honesty, he considered himself to be pretty muscular. He thought he knew what it meant to have such strength.</p><p>It wasn't until his Aunt Corrin talked to him during dinner preparations that he understood what it meant to be truly strong, and the revelation he experienced would stick to his thoughts long afterwards.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Stone on the Shore

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to break my own heart with this piece I guess??? Turned out a lot longer then I thought it was going to be, but I'm pretty happy with it. Like/Comment/Review if you'd like! I hope I break your heart too ;__;

“Aunt Corrin, why did you refuse to join a side?”

Doe eyes gleamed up at her curiously, almost distracting Corrin from her potato-peeling task. The two had been assigned kitchen duty that night, which Siegbert usually dreaded, but knowing that his wonderful aunt was working with him made the experience a pleasure rather than a bother. Usually they talked about minor things; how his lessons were going, the war effort, and such. Yet today, curiosity was bubbling within Siegbert’s soul to learn more about the sister that his father loved so much.

The question caused Corrin to grimace slightly, which did not go unnoticed by the blond-haired prince. “I’m sorry, you don’t have to talk about it if you do not wish,” he quickly uttered, eyes focusing on his own potato once more.

His quick backtracking reminded Corrin of how polite the young boy was. Too polite, in her opinion, but she understood why Xander raised him the way he did. She sighed and the features on her face softened.

“Don’t be sorry Siegbert.” She put her peeled potato down in the bucket and picked up another one, noting Siegbert’s tenseness. “I don’t mind talking about it at all. In fact, I’m happy that someone asked. I never really got to explain myself to anybody.”

Siegbert stopped his peeling and looked up to his aunt in surprise. “Truly?” He questioned, those doe eyes returning once more. Corrin couldn’t help but smile at him.

“Truly,” she uttered with a softness that dissipated the young prince’s anxiety. “Now, if you keep peeling those potatoes, I’ll tell you. We’ve got a hearty dinner to cook up.”

“O-oh, of course Aunt Corrin!” The bashful boy stammered, grasping his potato peeler and once again returning to work. He had turned his body so that he was facing her instead of the bucket of peeled potatoes, eagerness filling his spirit.    

“Alright,” Corrin muttered, a slight nervousness ebbing her voice. This was the first time anybody had ever asked her about why she had refused to join Hoshido or Nohr in the great war. The only people who had followed her at the time were her servants, who did not need any explanation to her decision in the first place – they would’ve jumped off a cliff if she had told them to, which ironically, they did. Once she had finally united the two sides against the true enemy, there was no time for explanations as the war effort was constantly demanding the day.

Her thoughts had trailed off, and Siegbert was looking at her with concern etched on his face. “So,” she started, smiling at the boy to ease his concerns. “I don’t know how much you know about the story, Siegbert, so I’ll start from the beginning.” He nodded, silently consenting, and she continued. “My entire life was spent in Nohr with your father and my other siblings. I loved them to pieces. For reasons unexplained to me at the time, I was stuck in a fortress my entire life, and my siblings were some of the only people who could visit me.”

Corrin’s eyes drifted upward and her hands slowed their peeling as warm memories filled her thoughts. “I didn’t mind. I loved Xander, and Camilla, and Leo and Elise and all of my servants. Their love filled even the dullest of days. Yet,” her eyes cast downward and her body slumped slightly. “King Garon, your grandfather, only wanted power. He used me as bait to injure the Hoshidan people. When I got captured by the Hoshidans, they treated me with nothing but utter kindness. Finding out that Nohr wasn’t my home was heartbreaking, yet I could not hate these new siblings of mine. Queen Mikoto, my mother, wanted only peace and harmony, much like me.”

Corrin gave up on the potatoes, setting her knife and the potato down in a bowl beside her. Siegbert made no comment, too enthralled by his aunt’s history. “When the day came that I had to choose a side, I didn’t know what to do. I knew that Hoshido was the right choice, yet I could not abandon the family that had raised me and loved me. In the end, all that I wanted truly was peace. When faced with war, I could not make a decision.”

Siegbert frowned at his aunt’s confession, trepidation filling his senses. “I didn’t realize,” The boy softly murmured, loud enough for Corrin to hear yet soft enough that his nervousness jarred the syllables of his words.  “The way that father described it made it sound like…..” The prince trailed off, unable to find the right world.

“I’m sure he made me seem like a traitor,” Corrin finished his sentence, causing the young boy to look away anxiously. “Don’t worry, I know. Both your father and Ryoma called me traitors that day, and I understood. They were both hurt and they didn’t understand the decision I had made. I almost believed them too.”

A chill silence filled the air between the two nobles. Corrin’s eyebrows were creased in contemplation, wondering what to say next, as Siegbert quietly peeled his potatoes. The young boy was at unease. _Father couldn’t be wrong_ , he wondered, his knife beginning to stall in his hand. _Father always has his reasons – and good ones at that._ _Yet Aunt Corrin sounds right, too_. Guilt and anxiety played in the prince’s heart, his thoughts crashing against each other with incongruence.  

“Siegbert,” Corrin mumbled hesitantly. “Do you have someone you care about with all of your heart?”

“I-I uh,” Siegbert’s cheeks instantly flushed with embarrassment. Pictures of a young spear fighter flooded his mind without hesitation, and a smile tugged at the boy’s lips. “I suppose I do, yes.”

“You and Shiro share quite the bond.” Corrin noticed the boy flush even more, and she hummed to herself in amusement. Though the two boys had been seeing each other for quite some time, talk of the young purple-haired Hoshidan still made Siegbert uncomfortable. _Speaking of which_ – the Nohrian prince began to rub the back of his neck, dropping the potato and forgetting about the task entirely.

“I cared about all of my siblings, Siegbert. They filled my life with love and I cherished every moment I could share with them. I knew that the solution to this war lay beyond Hoshido or Nohr. I took my own path because I knew it was the best way to make sure those I love would live on to see another day, without war and strife. Although neither side of my family understood at the time, and they indeed hated me for leaving them, I knew I was making the right choice. And I knew that,” she turned and gently put a hand on the boy’s shoulder in reassurance, “because I loved them so much.”

Siegbert sat frozen, reeling from his aunt’s words. He loved Shiro with all of his heart, yes – and he had shared those words with Shiro countless times. What did it mean, though, to love someone so much you’d be willing to betray them? His mind raced as he tried to reconcile his aunt’s words and his own feelings.

“I know that your father might not approve of what I’m telling you now,” Corrin whispered, her grip on Siegbert’s shoulder tightening. “And maybe you won’t either, but I want you to know this. Sometimes, it’s ok to disobey your orders, defy what is expected of you.” She felt the prince recoil in her grasp, but she tightened her grip once more, continuing without pause. “People might get hurt in the end. Maybe even the ones you love. It’s a hard pill to swallow, and an even harder decision to make. But as long as you act in order to help those you love,” the princess grinned broadly at her nephew, “you will _always_ be on the right path.”

Siegbert stared at his aunt, unable to speak. Though it went against everything his father had ever told him (“Always stick to the protocol!” “Never break formation, son!” “Keep on schedule with your training, Siegbert.”), something deep within his gut told him his aunt was right. Shiro’s image once again appeared in the young boy’s thoughts, and his heart clenched upon itself. _As long as you act in order to help those you love_ , his mind repeated, flipping the statement over and over again in examination, _you will always be on the right path_.

“Alright, I’ve divulged enough to you silly nephew,” Corrin chuckled, picking up her potato and knife once more. “Let’s get back to peeling. Dinner’s in a few hours and we still have a mountain of these to go through!”

\--

Shiro examined his boyfriend from across the field as he slashed his sword against a training dummy. Something about him was off; he was more aggressive with the dummy, attacking it with a carelessness that made the messy-haired prince nervous. Usually Siegbert’s motions were tight and concise, yet today he flung his sword as though he weren’t even paying attention to the dummy at all. Another careless slash, and the boy grunted angrily before dropping his sword.

Cautiously, Shiro tip-toed up to the blonde, examining his features. A tightknit frown was plastered on Siegbert’s face as he panted in exhaustion. His hands clenched and unclenched erratically and Shiro could hear the faint grinding of his teeth. Now was his chance.

Broad arms wrapped themselves around Siegbert’s waist from behind and he squeaked in surprise. “Hey there cutie!” Shiro teased, kissing the blonde on the cheek. He pulled his lips away sloppily, making a slurped noise as Siegbert thrashed his arms reactively.

“What are you doing?” Siegbert blurted, grabbing his boyfriend’s arms and throwing them off of him before stepping away.

Shiro grunted in both surprise and disappointment, rubbing his forearms – the force that Siegbert used to throw them was startlingly powerful. Yep, something was wrong with him. “I was just trying to be cute, jeez,” Shiro muttered, a bit of frustration creeping into his voice.

Finally, Siegbert turned around and faced the Hoshidan, realization hitting him. His anger immediately melted into guilt as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “Gods, I’m sorry Shiro, I j-just….” The blonde sighed in defeat and threw his arms to the ground. “I don’t know. I’m sorry.”

“Hey now,” Shiro comforted, cautiously approaching the boy once more. “What’s got you riled up Siegbert? Usually you’re a bit more careful with the dummies. And with me.” His hand softly grabbed Siegbert’s shoulder in a small attempt to comfort him. Shiro’s silver gaze, however, was too much for the Nohrian and he looked away bashfully.

“It’s nothing, I promise,” Siegbert lied, albeit poorly. Shiro’s daggered look told Siegbert that he didn’t believe him for a second. His hand reached across his chest and grabbed Shiro’s hand on his shoulder, in an attempt to ease himself. “Even if there was something on my mind, it wouldn’t really matter. I have to train.”

“Training schmaining,” Shiro grunted, releasing Siegbert’s hand and instead choosing to wrap his arms around the boy’s waist. “You’re more important than any dumb sword.” Siegbert blushed in response, as he usually did to Shiro’s compliments. It was one of the traits that had endeared him to the cavalier the most. “Now tell me,” he grabbed Siegbert’s chin and rose it enough so that the prince was forced to make eye contact with Shiro. “What’s on your mind?”

Siegbert sighed in defeat. The sun was beginning to set and his body was growing tired, so rather than fight it he decided to give in to his loving boyfriend’s arms. “I talked with Aunt Corrin today,” he started, his arms mutually wrapping around Shiro’s waist. “She told me some things.” He grew quiet.

“What things?” Shiro urged, giving Siegbert a light shake. “You can’t leave me hanging like that.” His trademark cocky grin appeared once more, causing Siegbert to smile as well.

“Well,” he began again, this time more confidently. “I asked her about why she didn’t take a side when Hoshido and Nohr fought. And she told me that it was love that led her to do that.”

The purple-haired spear fighter hummed in agreement. “Interesting. How so?”

“She said that she loved her siblings so much that she couldn’t choose a side. She wanted to find a path to peace so her siblings could live happily. She told me that they hated her for it, but she did it because she loved them too much to choose any other path.” Siegbert’s hands gripped the loose fabric flowing behind Shiro. “It’s just got me thinking. Would I be strong enough to do the same? Could I be as strong as her, or father, or even…you?” Anxiously, Siegbert looked downward. “I don’t think I could. I don’t think I am that strong.” Tears began to well up in his eyes. His grip on Shiro’s clothes tightened more.

“Aw, Sieg,” reassured, pressing his forehead against his boyfriend’s. Siegbert always seemed to think that he was one of the weaker members of the camp, when in fact the opposite was true. Surely, he was much more responsible and capable than Shiro was. Whenever anyone in the camp needed a hand, Siegbert was there to give it in an instant. The Nohrian prince was constantly inspiring Shiro to be a better person, to reach higher and to train harder. Before they began dating, Shiro was a lazy fool who would do anything to get out of royal training. Now, he was one of the strongest and most capable fighters in camp, all thanks to Siegbert’s encouragement. He’d probably still be a wreck if it wasn’t for his boyfriend’s love.

“You know, you’re one of the strongest people I know, Sieggy.” Shiro closed his eyes and smiled, and Siegbert choked back a sob.

“You always tell me that Shiro,” Siegbert grunted shakily, unable to believe those words.

“I’d tell that to you a thousand times more just so you’d believe it.” Shiro’s eyes opened and hardened in determination, startling the taller boy. “Now listen to me. I didn’t fall in love with a weakling. I fell in love with someone who is strong, capable, and absolutely willing to love others without a complaint. You’re constantly inspiring me to be a better man. I’m sure I’m not the only one too.” He could feel Siegbert quivering in his grip, and another sob choked its way out of the boy.

Shiro pressed a kiss against his lips. “I love you so much Siegbert. Please, don’t be sad. You’re strong, and I know you’d make the right choice if you were put in that position.” He backed his head up to examine the cavalier; Siegbert’s lip quivered and his eyes were puffy.

Shiro couldn’t help but remember a similar situation, one that was full of happiness instead of despair. _“Promise me you’ll never leave me,” Shiro whispered, clinging onto the boy as if his life depended on it. “Please.”_

 _“I promise, I **promise**_ ,” _Siegbert urged, kissing the shorter boy furiously. “I’ll never leave you, Shiro, I, I couldn’t-“_

_“I promise I won’t leave you either,” Shiro croaked, his tears dripping onto Siegbert’s cheek. “You’re too precious to me. I love you so much.”_

Shiro found himself smiling fondly at the memory – a promise that he would never break.

Suddenly, Siegbert flung his arms across Shiro’s body in desperation, pulling him into a tight hug. “Thank you for everything Shiro,” he croaked, pressing his face against the top of Shiro’s shoulder. “I love you so much.”

Shiro’s heart fluttered at the words, and warmth filled his cheeks. He put his hand on the back of Siegbert’s head and held him close for the next few minutes, basking in the presence of his love. Though Siegbert would never believe it, Shiro was way too lucky to have someone as good as Siegbert love him. Not a day went by when he didn’t think about the beautiful prince in his arms, whose presence warmed his heart to immeasurable capacities. His fingers began lightly stroking the blonde’s hair as they continued to quietly embrace.

The sun had set by now, and the moon was illuminating the empty field with a beautiful glow. Shiro could sense Siegbert’s limbs begin to loosen their grip on him, his breathing slowing. His boyfriend was probably tired from such a long, busy day.

“Let’s go to bed sleepyhead,” Shiro muttered, kissing his cheek. “I’m pretty tired too. Besides, I wanna cuddle with you.” Shiro felt Siegbert’s body begin to rise once more as he lifted his head off of the spear master.

“That sounds nice,” Siegbert agreed, reaching down to grasp his boyfriend’s hand. “I love you.”

“Aww, Sieg!” Shiro gushed with a toothy grin. “Makes me feel good to hear that. I love you too you goofball.”

The two chuckled in unison as they made their way to their tent, hearts aflutter and ready for a night of cuddling.

\--

They had attacked quickly that night.

Shigure had quickly alerted the sleeping camp to the fast-advancing group of Vallites, just enough time organize but not enough time to do so optimally. Xander and Ryoma were barking orders at their countrymen in the open field, setting up the main frontal attack against the force. Siegbert had been charged with the camp’s defensive force, whereas Shiro was to head a surprise flank on the oncoming forces.

The sound of screamed orders and running men filled the camp as the two young soldiers armored up in the moonlight. Shiro was finishing up tying the bellstraps of his shinguards before he stood up forcefully, his body tense with anticipation.

Siegbert had not noticed the broad figure standing silently over him as he was too focused on attaching his vanguard, which had caught itself on his shirt’s threads. “Dammit,” The boy seethed, attempting to yank the metal plate away from his shirt. “Not now, not now-“

“Let me help.” The spear master put his hand over Siegbert’s, his grip a mixture of reassurance and nervousness.

“I know what I’m doing, Shiro-“

“ _Please_.” Siegbert stalled, glancing over at Shiro – his eyes were filled with worry. “Let me do this. It’ll make me feel better.”

The taller boy sighed, letting go of the vanguard. “Make it quick. I need to get out on the field as soon as possible.”

“I know.” Shiro was nervous, and Siegbert could tell. The Hoshidan refused to make eye contact with him at all, and he was oddly quiet while he worked on the armor.

“You’re going to do fine out there, Shiro.” Siegbert attempted to give a warm smile, succeeding only somewhat. “You’ve been working hard. You’re fully capable.”

“S’not me I’m worried about.” Shiro tightened the band on Siegbert’s bicep, successfully attaching the shoulder armor.

“I made you a promise, right?” SIegbert grabbed his gloves, quickly sliding them on his fingers. Shiro took a step back, looking the cavalier dead on. “I said I’d always come back. And I will this time, just like every other time.”

“You made a promise that you would never leave me.” Shiro’s voice was harder than steel, his gaze unforgiving. “I know that the plan calls for this, but please. Don’t do anything stupid out there.”

“Stupid?” Siegbert would’ve chuckled if it wasn’t for the fact that Shiro was genuinely nervous. “I should be saying that to you.”

Shiro didn’t flinch. Siegbert resigned himself. “I won’t do anything stupid, and neither will you. We’ll get through this together Shiro, even if we aren’t physically near each other.”

“I love you too much, you asshole.” In a flash, Shiro gripped the blonde’s head forcefully, pushing him into a passionate yet fleeting kiss. Siegbert took a few seconds to react to the act, but once it registered he was pressing back with full force, gripping at the other boy’s messy hair. Once he pulled back, Siegbert was reeling from it, having to take a couple seconds to regain his composure.

“I-I-…..” Siegbert paused and reached deep inside of his spirit to find confidence. “I love you too, Shiro. Now please, I have to go.” The boy clasped his gauntlets on over his gloves as he straightened his posture, allowing the confidence to seep into his bones.

“Sir!” A soldier arrived with Siegbert’s mount, and quickly handed the reigns over to the crown prince. A nod of acknowledgment to the soldier, and Siegbert was soon throwing himself on top of his mount. His confidence and composure was in full place.

Shiro could only look up at his boyfriend in wonder. Siegbert almost looked like he could be a king, the way he was composed – so poised, with so much power. It inspired the Hoshidan to take on the same willpower. 

“Be safe.” Shiro commanded, taking on his newfound bravado.

“You as well.” The two shared a nod, one full of love and assurance, before Siegbert kicked his reigns and headed towards the front of camp.

\--

The defense was holding well. With Siegbert leading the blockade, the group’s forces were tight and organized, able to repel a majority of the attacks against them. Ignatius and Velouria were leading the front of the defense, and Forrest was healing the casualties near the back of the camp. All was going according to plan.

“Kiragi, try to aim for the sorcerers,” Siegbert barked at the small Hoshidan, whose carefree attitude was in full show.

“You got it, boss!” He yelled, restringing his bow without flinching. “Let’s make a mage skewer!”

“Midori, back out from the fight and focus on your potions. I imagine that injured forces from father’s attack will be arriving soon, and we need to be prepared.”

“I’ll get started right away!” The apothecary agreed, attaching her bow to her back. Her pigtails blew in the breeze as she ran in the direction of Forrest’s makeshift healing camp.

“Siegbert, do you see that?”

Hisame was waving his arms urgently, getting the prince’s attention. “Over there! Do you see that?” The samurai pointed in the sky, where a firework was exploding in the night sky. A flare. Siegbert tensed as he focused on the light, counting how many spells went up.

One, two, _three_.

Siegbert’s heart froze.

“They’re being overwhelmed,” Hisame reported, echoing the exact thoughts that Siegbert had. Considering the location of the flare – near the woods, off to the side of the battle – that meant only one thing. Shiro was in big trouble.

Immediately, his father came to mind. _“I’m putting you in charge of the defense, son.”_ He’d said that with such pride and honor. It had made Siegbert feel whole. For one of the first times in his life, he felt like he was useful. His father had entrusted him to lead his people, and he couldn’t let him down, not when he had finally earned his approval like that.

Siegbert’s mind ignited, worry and trepidation flooding his senses. He had to stay in position. _Don’t do anything stupid, okay?_ He had to follow his orders. _You said you’d never leave me._ He was the leader of the defense, that was his job, his duty! _You’re one of the strongest people I know, Sieggy._ His father was depending on him to follow his orders! _I love you too much, you asshole._ No, he had to stay in position, **_stay in position_** -

_As long as you act in order to help those you love, you will always be on the right path._

Calm entered the boy’s mind. He knew what he had to do.

“Hisame, fetch me Forrest. Once you’re done with that, go get Velouria from the front. Got it?”

“Yes sir,” Hisame bowed quickly before running off into the camp.

Only a few minutes passed before his cousin was galloping through the gate. Forrest’s eyes locked onto Siegbert and he immediately trotted his horse up to the cavalier.

“Hisame told me to find you,” Forrest panted, wiping sweat from his brow. “What do you need from me?”

“Forrest, I need you to lead the defense.”

Forrest gasped, and a stumble of words fell out of his mouth. “B-but Siegbert, you’re supposed to-“

“Shiro’s group sent a flair, Forrest.” Siegbert’s deadpan response silenced the troubadour. “We only use those for emergencies. I need to go help him and his group – they won’t survive otherwise. I _need_ to go.” Siegbert straightened his posture and stared at his cousin. “Your father is one of the most brilliant minds in all of Nohr. I know you’ve been getting tactical lessons from him, and I know how naturally smart you are. You have the capacity to do it, Forrest, so do it, please.”

The curly-haired boy was quiet, nodding only after a few moments had passed. “I understand. I-I’ll try my best not to let anyone down.” From a satchel on his mount, he pulled out a tactical guide, skimming it quickly with nervousness. “I can do this,” the boy murmured, to himself more than to Siegbert, and he led his horse to the camp. Just before he was gone, Forrest turned back to his cousin and smiled, shooing him off in the direction of the forest. “Go save your boyfriend!”

For the first time in hours, Siegbert found himself smiling.

“You called?”

Velouria had appeared behind him, her red coat tattered with blood. She was good at savaging the opponent, and that was exactly what Siegbert needed at the moment. His hands gripped his reins tightly as he turned the horse around.

“The flank attack failed. We have to go help them, now. Follow me.” He whipped the reins, causing his horse to crash into a gallop. Velouria turned into her beast form and ran not far behind the cavalier.

Sweat began to drip from his forehead. _Hold on Shiro. I’m coming for you._

\--

Shiro ducked under the translucent mercenary’s sword, swiftly shifting his weight before slashing at his legs, the warrior falling to the ground in pain.

There were more troops than the flank had anticipated. There were so many of them, _too many_ , and Shiro’s force was quickly mitigating in numbers.

Asugi stood back to back with him, opening a pouch to grab more shuriken. “This ain’t lookin good,” he murmured, flicking his wrist to hit a soldier right in the knee.

“I know, I know!” Shiro yelled. He stiffened his naginata horizontally as a swordsmen tried to slash at him, blocking the attack. “I don’t know what to do! I had Ophelia send the flair, but I don’t know if we can hold them off until reinforcements come!”

“Not like we have any other option.” The ninja stuck another lollipop in his mouth. “Keep fighting until you die, ‘s what pops would do.”

A scream was heard in the distance, feminine and full of terror.

“Soleil! Oh gods, no!” Asugi bolted away immediately in the direction of the scream, leaving the spear master in the dust.

“No! Don’t leave, we have to cover each oth-“

Shiro was forced on his back, a seething pain hitting his shoulder. His hand gripped his shoulder in blinding agony, blood leaking from the wound while his other hand held his naginata up weakly, in defense. A beserker hulked over him, gritting its teeth with bloodlust. He snatched the weapon away from the purple-haired boy and snapped it in half over his knee, cackling as he did so.

Shiro could barely open his eyes. The beserker’s laugh was dulled in his ears, overshadowed by the sharp ringing in his head. His shoulder wound, while not fatal, was incapacitating him. He couldn’t defend himself, and now his weapon was gone too. This was it. Shiro was going to die. Barely, Shiro could see the fuzzy image of the beserker lifting his axe, preparing to land the final blow-

The soldier’s chest exploded in a burst of gore, falling to his knees before slumping onto the ground. Shiro’s vision refocused only to see a horse, clad in armor, and on top of it….

“Shiro!” Siegbert cried, immediately leaping off of his steed. He fell on the ground and immediately examined the wound, ripping open his shirt. “Gods, Shiro, gods…..”

“I’m….ok,” he flinched in pain as Siegbert prodded at his cut. “I’m ok. It hurts, but I’ll live.”

“Drink this.” From his satchel, the blond pulled out a Concoction and tipped it into Shiro’s mouth, whom sipped it slowly.

Immediately, relief flooded Shiro’s body and he found himself with renewed vigor. His mind now sharpened, he observed his surroundings – dead bodies surrounded him, and screams of war could be heard in the background. He could see more enemy troops were headed to their position, and Shiro weakly pointed to them.

“More, Sieg,” The Nohrian’s head snapped in that direction, his stoic expression returning to his face.

“Go hide in the forest and recover,” Siegbert barked at the purple-haired boy. “Velouria and I will cover you.”

Clarity was returning to him. “You aren’t even supposed to be here!” He screamed, at Siegbert, flinching from the pain in his shoulder.

“I saw the flair. I had to come help you. NOW GO!” In an instant, Siegbert was on his mount once more. Shiro sat there, unable to will his limbs into moving. He couldn’t just hide in the forest while a battle was happening – he was their leader!

Siegbert unstrapped a lance from the saddle before noting Shiro’s lack of movement. “GO! NOW!” He screamed before charging in the direction of the oncoming soldiers, Velouria crashing in behind him. Shiro scrambled to stand up, panic and confidence tinging his senses as he looked around for a weapon. He wasn’t going to hide. He was going to fight.

Quickly, Shiro found a bloodied lance in the hands of a dead shoulder. He ripped the weapon from the body, the fabric on his shoulder slipping off as he turned towards his boyfriend. Though the cavalier was holding the warriors off skillfully and the wolfskin was slaughtering many of them, it was clear that they was outnumbered. Without hesitation, Shiro sprinted in his direction, adrenaline dulling his hearing and sharpening his vision. _I’m not going down without a fight_. _And I’m not going to leave you alone in this battle, Sieggy._

His ears pounded to the rhythm of his footsteps as he neared Siegbert, who was beginning to falter. 20 more feet, 15 more feet, _10 more feet,_ Siegbert turned towards Shiro, fear painted on his face, _5 more feet_ , Seigbert was panicking and yelling at him to turn around, _no Siegbert, I’m not running away, I’m going to kill all of them-_

“Shiro no!” Siegbert immediately jumped off of his horse and ran in his direction. “NO!” Siegbert shoved him to the side, a scream, blood splattering, armor clanking against the ground-

Shiro forced himself back up on his feet and turned around, only to see Siegbert on the ground, his chest bleeding profusely. A mercenary grinned above him, aiming his sword for the kill.

Blood rushed to his ears. He couldn’t hear anything, his legs were moving for him, a lunge forwards, a feral scream, his lance sticking out of a dead body on the ground. He pulled the lance out of the body and screamed as he slashed again, and again, and _again_ -

“Shiro…..” A voice pierced through his delusion and he immediately stiffened. Dropping the weapon, he fell to his knees next to the boy, who was losing blood at a faster rate than he could comprehend.

“I told you..to hide…” Siegbert coughed, his eyes misty with tears. His hand weakly clutched his chest in an attempt to stop the blood flow, but it was clear that he was losing the battle.  


“I couldn’t- I won’t – “ He couldn’t form sentences. Nothing made sense. Panicking, Shiro screamed for a healer, somebody, _anybody_ , to come help. They needed help, they needed help, Siegbert was bleeding, Seigbert was dying, _no, no, **NO**_ -

“There are no….healers, Shiro.” His voice was weak and bubbled with the sound of liquid, _blood_ , in his throat. Again the boy coughed up more blood, and the tears spilled down his face from the forceful lurch.

“No, drink this Sieg, come on, DRINK IT!” He was holding the Concoction to Siegbert’s lips, almost forcing him to drink it, he was desperate, Siegbert can’t die, no no no-

“I’m sorry Shiro, I….can’t….” Siegbert’s eyes were lidded, he was beginning to fade.

“Don’t say that!” The spear master wrapped his arms around the cavalier, not caring about the immense amount of blood that spilled onto his body, holding him desperately. Shiro felt his throat tighten with anguish, _no, no, no….no…._

“Why did you do this?!?! WHY?!” Shiro was screaming, he couldn’t control himself, _no_ , there was too much blood on Siegbert, there shouldn’t _be_ so much blood, _stop bleeding, STOP BLEEDING!_

“Heh….” Calm was enveloping Siegbert, the tears flowing more intensely down his cheek. His words were slow and quiet. “I wondered…if I would make the right decision....when placed in a situation like this….if I could be strong enough…”

Shiro choked out a sob, unable to control his emotions. “What are you talking about? Don’t do this to me! You’re the strongest person I know, I’ve told you that a million times, now PROVE IT TO ME!”

Somehow, despite all of the pain in Siegbert’s chest, a smile tickled the boy’s face. “I did, Shiro…..I did prove it to you…..” Slowly, Siegbert inched his hand closer to the boy, before finally grasping it with what little energy he had. Shiro almost crushed it in response, he needed to grip onto _something, anything, you need to stay strong_ -

“As long as you act….” The boy coughed again, even more blood spilling down the side of his face, “….in order to help those you love…..you will always be….” His hand tightened around Shiros, “…on the right path.”

“This isn’t right Sieg! This isn’t right! You said you wouldn’t do anything stupid, but you did!” Shiro was sobbing, his tears were falling onto Siegbert’s chest, he kept gripping tighter, “You promised me you would never leave me! _You promised!_ You can’t leave me now Sieg! I love you so much, I love you….” The sobs overcame his voice and he collapsed into the boy, loud chokes echoing off of him. Siegbert’s heartbeat was quiet, and slow.

“It may hurt the ones you love…..” Siegbert was almost whispering now. His eyes were almost closed. “I’m sorry, Shiro….I hope you’ll understand…maybe not now, but someday...”

“YOU PROMISED!” Shiro was screaming, and he finally found the courage to look at his love in the face. It was splattered in blood and sweat had matted the hair to his forehead. “YOU PROMISED ME! Please Siegbert, don’t go, I _need_ you, I’m absolutely nothing without you, don’t you see? You’re everything to me!”

"At least I'll die....knowing that I was strong. Strong for you." The tears stopped flowing down his face. He felt nothing anymore.

A faint smile appeared on the Nohrian prince’s face. Shiro’s eyes so silver, so pretty. He was going to miss them dearly.

“One more kiss….” His voice was almost gone.

Shiro crashed his lips onto Siegbert’s, the liquid coating his lips, tasting like iron and sweat, and _passion_ , and _love_ , all of the love that Siegbert had, all of the happy memories they shared together, the times when Shiro had cried his heart out to Siegbert only to be met with hugs and reaffirmations, when Siegbert couldn’t stop blushing after admitting his feelings towards the spear master, when Siegbert cried tears of joy after Shiro told him he loved him back, all of it came crashing down upon Shiro like an infinite weight he couldn’t lift, and he collapsed again onto the boy, sobs overtaking him once more.

“DON’T LEAVE ME! _**DON’T LEAVE ME!** I love you, I love you, I love you so much...please….”_ his body felt numb with emotion.

“Goodbye Shiro……you were….the best thing that has ever happened….to me.” His smile disappeared, unable to sustain it any longer.  “Good…..bye…my love…”

“NO! _NO!_ You can do this Sieg, stay strong, you’re _so strong, **stay with me-** ”_

Shiro felt the boy’s heartbeat go still.

.

.

.

.

_“Shiro, I….” Siegbert’s voice was quiet, nervous. He looked down bashfully, away from the Hoshidan._

_“What’s up?” Shiro kissed the boy’s nose, unable to keep away from Siegbert’s cute face. His arms wrapped themselves around Siegbert’s body as they cuddled closer in bed. Siegbert’s skin was soft and smooth against his rough, calloused hands._

_He felt Siegbert tense up, taking a deep breath. “I love you, Shiro.”_

_Shiro’s arms loosened around the boy. He was silent. Panicked, Siegbert pushed away from him, stuttering out excuses. “You don’t have to say it back, it might have been inappropriate for me to say that so soon, I’m sorry Shiro, oh Gods-“ Tears began to well up in the boy’s eyes out of pure fear._

_“Wow,” Shiro uttered, clinging the boy tighter. “I can’t believe it.”_

_“Listen Shiro, we can just forget about this alright, please don’t think about it too much-“_

_“You’re so adorable.” Shiro felt himself getting misty eyed. He kissed the blond’s forehead. “I can’t believe you said it first.”_

_Siegbert stilled himself. “You can’t believe it? Was is that bad?”_

_“No, goofball.” Shiro pressed his forhead against Siegbert’s, gazing into his eyes lovingly. “I’m surprised you said it first because I’ve been trying to figure out how to say it for weeks.”_

_Realization hit Siegbert. “Wait, does that mean?”_

_“I love you with all of my heart, Siegbert.” Shiro couldn’t stop himself from grinning. He’d never been this happy in his life._

_Siegbert forced his lips onto Shiro’s, igniting both of their hearts on fire. They groped at each other with hunger, with passion, their love for each other filling every cell in their body with need. They could’ve done this for hours, their passion never once dulling, as they pushed and pulled towards each other with such strength that the gods themselves wouldn’t be able to rip them apart. Their love was eternal, stronger than any force above them._

_Abruptly, Shiro pulled away from the kiss, his eyes filled with need. “Promise me you’ll never leave me,” Shiro whispered, clinging onto the boy as if his life depended on it. “Please.”_

_“I promise, I promise,” Siegbert urged, kissing the shorter boy furiously. “I’ll never leave you, Shiro, I, I couldn’t-“_

_“I promise I won’t leave you either,” Shiro croaked, his tears dripping onto Siegbert’s cheek. “You’re too precious to me. I love you so much.”_

When the reinforcements finally arrived to the scene, they found Shiro screaming uncontrollably, clutching onto the body. He refused to say goodbye.

 


End file.
